8 Things All Grand Rapids Residents Need to Know This Winter

Review all of the rules and tips that every Grand Rapids resident needs to know to make it a successful winter.

It's time to be fully prepared for all of the extra work and rules that come with winter in Grand Rapids. The City of Grand Rapids has shared a lot of important information on how to handle the cold and snow.

A quick look through our guide will help you have less stress down the road, keep your property safe and give you more time to get out and enjoy the fun parts of winter in Grand Rapids!

1

Sidewalk Snow Clearing Requirements

Property owners are required to clear all ice and snow from their sidewalks.

The full width of the sidewalk must be cleared within 24 hours of snowfall.

The City of Grand Rapids does not provide snow removal services.

SergeyIT, ThinkStock

2

Snow Plowing Priorities

Everyone wants their road cleared (except for snow-day loving kids) but some streets get priority over others. Here's how it works.

The first streets to get cleared are major, high volume streets including Monroe Ave., Leonard St., Fulton St., Burton St. and Division Ave.

When there is more than 3 inches of snow and the major roads are clear, plows may head to other roads, but it still depends on the temperature and weather forecast.

Non-major streets will only get deiced when there is a hill, big curve or another unique reason to do so.

Purestock, ThinkStock

3

Avoiding the Second Shovel

You've just spent a good amount of time clearing snow from your driveway then this happens - a snowplow comes through the neighborhood leaving a mountain of snow at the end of your driveway.

This can't be entirely avoided, but being smart about the way you shovel can be a big time saver.